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One of the top stories from this past week was that KMT Chairman Eric Chu announced that he will keep his position as mayor of New Taipei City while running for president. He said he will take three months off, starting this past Tuesday. Deputy Mayor Hou You-yi is now filling in as acting mayor while Chu focuses on the campaign.
The mayor apologized to the citizens of New Taipei, saying that he will stay up-to-date via phone, instant messaging and the Internet.
Chu also spoke about why he went back on a promise not to enter the race. He said that keeping your position when running for public office is common practice both in Taiwan and abroad. He said that he had to make what he called a “painful” decision at a critical juncture. He said the public needs another choice, since the election is crucial to Taiwan’s future democratic development.
The KMT chose at a national congress one week ago to have Chu replace the party’s original presidential candidate: Legislature Vice President Hung Hsiu-chu, who was not faring well in the polls.
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Also this past week, reports say that the KMT’s presidential candidate Eric Chu is planning to make a trip to the United States in early-to-mid November. His rival, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen made a similar trip back in early June. During her visit, she became the first presidential candidate from Taiwan to step foot into the US State Department building.
When asked whether Chu would receive a similar reception to Tsai, Foreign Minister David Lin said that the question should be directed toward Chu. That’s because, he said, the foreign ministry is not involved in making any of the arrangements. Lin said that the ministry only provides administrative assistance for that type of trip.
Lin went on to say that the KMT had not yet contacted the foreign ministry to ask for assistance.
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And finally, this past week, five cities and counties in Taiwan have been listed among the world’s Smart21 Communities of 2016. The New York-based Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) announced the list on Wednesday.
The communities were evaluated on six indicators to determine their competitiveness in the broadband economy. Those indicators include things like broadband services, innovation, digital equality, and sustainability.
Taiwan was the only Asian country represented in the latest top 21 list. The five Taiwanese communities are: New Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Kaohsiung and Taitung. New Taipei, which is featured for the third year in a row, made it into the top seven last year. It won recognition for its complete transportation system, accessible information and technology, and for upgrading traditional industries.
Other countries with communities in the 2016 Smart21 list include Canada, the United States, Australia, Germany, The Netherlands, New Zealand, and Sweden.
The top 21 communities are now in the running to become one of the seven Intelligent Communities of the year. ICF will then choose one community to succeed last year’s winner: Columbus, Ohio.